Potential Polyunsaturated Aldehydes in the Strait of Gibraltar under Two Tidal Regimes

Marine Drugs

Soledad Morillo-Garc໚²  Nerea Valcárcel-Pérez²  Andrés Cózar²  Mar໚ J. Ortega³  Diego Mac໚s¹  Eduardo Ramírez-Romero²  Carlos M. Garc໚²  Fidel Echevarr໚² 

[1] Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Center, European Commission, Via E. Fermi, 2147, Ispra, Varese 21021, Italy; E-Mail:;Department of Biology, University of Cádiz, Avda. República Saharaui s/n., Puerto Real, Cádiz 11510, Spain; E-Mails:;Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Cádiz, Avda. República Saharaui s/n., Puerto Real, Cádiz 11510, Spain; E-Mail:

关键词: polyunsaturated aldehydes;    diatoms;    physiological stress;    Strait of Gibraltar;    heptadienal;    octadienal;    decadienal;   

DOI  :  10.3390/md12031438

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Diatoms, a major component of the large-sized phytoplankton, are able to produce and release polyunsaturated aldehydes after cell disruption (potential PUAs or pPUA). These organisms are dominant in the large phytoplankton fraction (>10 µm) in the Strait of Gibraltar, the only connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. In this area, the hydrodynamics exerts a strong control on the composition and physiological state of the phytoplankton. This environment offers a great opportunity to analyze and compare the little known distribution of larger sized PUA producers in nature and, moreover, to study how environmental variables could affect the ranges and potential distribution of these compounds. Our results showed that, at both tidal regimes studied (Spring and Neap tides), diatoms in the Strait of Gibraltar are able to produce three aldehydes: Heptadienal, Octadienal and Decadienal, with a significant dominance of Decadienal production. The PUA released by mechanical cell disruption of large-sized collected cells (pPUA) ranged from 0.01 to 12.3 pmol from cells in 1 L, and from 0.1 to 9.8 fmol cell⁻¹. Tidal regime affected the abundance, distribution and the level of physiological stress of diatoms in the Strait. During Spring tides, diatoms were more abundant, usually grouped nearer the coastal basin and showed less physiological stress than during Neap tides. Our results suggest a significant general increase in the pPUA productivity with increasing physiological stress for the cell also significantly associated to low nitrate availability.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.